A VIOLENT and ``cowardly'' offender will be banned from the Launceston central business district after his latest one-punch attack on a defenceless victim.
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Dion Frances Vernie Saunders, 21, of Launceston, was yesterday sentenced to a year's jail for his assault on a man in the Quadrant Mall last year.
Saunders attacked the man just days after he was given a four-month suspended sentence for two assaults in the CBD.
The most recent assault happened after two groups of men exchanged words.
CCTV footage played to the Launceston Magistrates Court on the last occasion showed the victim trying to shake hands with a member of Saunders' group.
Saunders can be seen walking up to the man and suddenly punching him in the face.
The victim suffered significant injury to his teeth requiring $1250 of dental work.
Magistrate Reg Marron appears to have been swayed by the CCTV, saying it was rare the court was conveyed ``the actual sense of what's occurred''.
He said Saunders had committed a ``cowardly act, a random one'' which had been unprovoked.
``And your build is much more more solid and muscled [than the victim's],'' he said.
Mr Marron said Saunders, who'd pleaded guilty, had displayed a pattern of antisocial and violent behaviour. In 2012 the meat worker broke a man's eye socket with a single punch and earlier that year punched a man in the face at Waverley.
Last year he assaulted a stranger from behind at a taxi rank.
Saunders was sentenced to a suspended jail term for two of those assaults on September 17 and five days later attacked the man in the Quadrant Mall.
Mr Marron activated the suspended sentenced and ordered Saunders serve a further eight months for the latest assault. He suspended the last four months.
He also ordered Saunders pay the dental costs of his victim and barred him from entering the CBD between 12am and 5am for a year on release.
Mr Marron said despite the crime being serious he was not convinced the maximum penalty should be doubled as asked by the prosecution.
Yesterday Dr Vanessa Goodwin MLC said the Liberal government would ask the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute to consider what law changes were needed to respond to one-punch cases.
``In addition to that, the Liberals have already had discussions with the Police Commissioner about recruiting an additional 108 extra police officers to bolster the police service and ensure an increased police presence to respond to anti-social behaviour,'' she said.